


Wingmate

by Lalelilolu



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alec Lightwood Deserves Nice Things, Alec Lightwood Has Self-Worth Issues, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angel Wings, First Meetings, Fluff, Happy Ending, Heterochromic wings, M/M, Magnus Bane is a nice thing, Soulmates, Wing jewellery, Wingfic, Wings as Weapons, moth wings, smol angst, smol crack
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-05
Updated: 2020-12-05
Packaged: 2021-03-10 02:48:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,834
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27897091
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lalelilolu/pseuds/Lalelilolu
Summary: To find one's soulmate you just have to look at your own wings. One of them is theirs one of them is yours.
Relationships: Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood
Comments: 11
Kudos: 135





	Wingmate

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Myulalie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Myulalie/gifts).



> For my papillon who always helps me brainstorm. I hope you like it even if I couldn't provide your favoured ship. All the best, flutter on ♥
> 
> Thanks to [AceOnIce](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AceOnIce/pseuds/AceOnIce), who betaed this for me.

All his life Alec had known that he was different, that there was something wrong with him. As he grew older and eventually hit puberty, he started to realize how wrong he had been. There was not only something wrong about him, there were many things wrong.

The first signs of his oddness were his wings. Every member of the Shadow World had their own double set of wings. A set that they shared with their wingmate, a person supposed to be compatible with them in all ways that mattered. Alec hated the idea of a predestined person just for him. But he couldn’t help himself and still hoped.

Alec had seen a wingmate bond break between his parents. Of course wingmates didn’t always work out or worked out better as friends or even enemies, but it was seldomly as ugly as it had been between Maryse and Robert. Alec despised the idea of things becoming bitter between his mate and himself, but he longed for someone who would accept him just the way he was; just because it was supposed to be like that.

The Clave would never accept him. Not if they knew who he really was. What he hid inside the deepest nook of himself. They barely tolerated his future wingmate, a downworlder, obvious by the nature of his right wing. How could they also tolerate him liking other men? That was something he had found out about himself in the training room on the cusp of manhood. His best hope was that he could hide it until he had made himself indisposable.

Alec was sitting on his bed, running his hands through the feathers of his left wings, straightening them out. His three left wings were feathered dark-blue and when the sun hit the appendages right, they reflected back dark silver light. He looked at the loose feathers in his hand and discarded them into the trash can with a sigh.

Tending to the wing on his right side was easier and harder at the same time because the wing belonged to his soulmate. His soulmate’s wing had the shape of a moth wing - a very glamorous moth wing that, with its shape and size on Alec’s back, marked him as an outcast. It was vibrant golden with silver highlights and spots. The colourful appendage made Alec stand out like a sore spot in the institute and its muted colours.

Shadowhunters very rarely had downworlders as their soulmates and, more importantly, they never got their happy ending. Most of them fell while fighting, finding themselves at a disadvantage with the disbalance of wings too different in size and shape.

Alec had learned very early on that no one would help him learn how to deal with his mismatched pair so he’d trained longer, harder, and more fiercely than everyone else.

He even managed to fly without it looking like he was a freshly plucked goose trying to flap away from the hangman’s axe. Alec had even found out that for ranged weapons, like the bow he now preferred to use, it was actually an advantage to have a smaller wing. So he mastered handling a bow before even getting his first rune.

Alec let his hand glide over the golden wing deep in thought, trying to polish it with his sleeve to bring the golden glow to its prime. That’s another thing that bothered him. He could ask anyone in the institute how to take care of his three Nephilim wings and he’d get very detailed and correct answers, but not a single soul had been able to help him with the warlock wing. Now he’s stuck with half-hearted attempts and no real guidance except for what he had been able to find in the dusty institute library. And judging by the written advice on Nephilim wings that’s available, Alec doubted that the advice on downworlder wings was much better.

Careful, as to not to crumple the smooth golden wing, he laid down on his back. Tomorrow was going to be interesting. Alec wondered how much he was going to regret agreeing to his siblings’ plan to get Clary’s memories back, but he knew, in the end, it’d be worth it. There was nothing in the world Alec wouldn’t do for his brother and sister’s happiness.

\---

Alec failed to look Magnus Bane in the eye until there was an arrow lodged deep in the chest of the circle member Magnus was fighting. Once he did, Alec felt stupid for not noticing the other man earlier. The warlock’s golden moth wings illuminated the room now that the threat had been taken care of.

Alec’s mind was devoid of any coherence so instead of introducing himself like a normal person, the only thing he was able to do was to stutter out his name and concentrate on not flushing like a tomato. Maybe those warm, brown eyes that seemed to stare into his very soul were the reason that Alec didn’t notice the very obvious change that took place when their gazes met.

Honestly, with all the other stuff going on Alec couldn’t have noticed. That’s what he told himself.

Later, when he layed in bed, he berated himself for missing the obvious. He should’ve noticed, even after all the trouble of summoning the memory demon, Alec should have noticed. If not for the now balanced weight on his back, Alec definitely should have noticed his siblings’ pointed glances. Alec had just been so distracted by the colourful warlock and his entrancing gesturing that he missed the obvious staring and fleeting commentary of Jace and Izzy.

Alec’s six wings were stretched out underneath him, covering the whole mattress. He was probably the only shadowhunter in the whole entire world who met his soulmate and didn’t even notice until hours later. Magnus must think him a complete failure. Alec didn’t even have his number or any other means of contacting the warlock. Alec would never admit it out loud, but he was sad. His one designated person must be so disappointed in him. Alec certainly was.

Alec turned on his right side and glanced at the three wings there. His wingmate - Magnus Bane, warlock extraordinaire with the most captivating smile and warmest brown eyes - had decorated them. Between the dark blue feathers glimpses of silver chains made the wings so much more reflective, giving them a permanent hue. Testing the reflection, Alec moved the wings separately, first the wing protruding from his shoulder, then the one in the middle and lastly the one emerging from the small of his back. It was almost as if the wings winked at him, as he twisted and turned them in the low light of the bedside table. The golden capsules with which Magnus had adorned the outer tip of all three wings glinted and when Alec tried to touch it, he almost pricked his finger. He grinned, oddly touched that someone else had thought about weaponizing their wings - just as Alec had with the moth wing.

After playing a bit longer with his new-old wings he finally fell asleep, feeling almost embraced by the reflections of the sparse moonlight coming through his window against the empty walls and ceiling of his room.

\---

Alec was so not okay with this. On a scale from unacceptable to bearable, this was disastrous. At first he had been happy about his balance being just right for the first time in his life. He’d even been elated when he took flight and hadn’t had to actively steer against the imbalance to make it work, but now he just wanted his moth wing back.

“Alec, watch out!” Izzy’s warning came just in time for him to duck under the demon vomit flying in his direction. Normally he would’ve just held his moth wing up as a shield against the venom but with the wing gone he couldn’t do that anymore.

Apparently downworlder wings were very sturdy when it came to demon attacks, very unlike Nephilim wings, which burned and flared up whenever anything demonic touched them just a tad too hard. It was something that Alec had found out on his first mission, when he had defended himself and brought all of his wings in front of his body and only the angelic half had been hurting afterwards.

It was a problem. Alec was so used to his moth wing that he could allow himself to leave his guard down more than other shadowhunters, which brought great advantages while fighting. Now he had to cover those weak points even more, which was made harder by the fact that he hadn’t managed to untangle all the jewellery Magnus Bane had left in his feathers and the silver chains kept getting stuck on random objects while walking, flying and fighting.

Alec had to get his wing back.

\---

Alec gazed up at the brick building in front of him. Up there was his one special person. More importantly the only person who could give him his wing back and, honestly, after that disastrous mission he wasn’t sure what he cared more about.

That was a complete lie, of course, but Alec didn’t want to admit to himself that he was excited because if he did, he’d be nervous and when he was nervous his stomach got all fluttery and if his stomach got all fluttery then he’d risk throwing up all over his wingmate and that would leave a terrible impression and would prove him right about being nervous. 

Alec was here to get his wing back. Not to ogle the man who had it now. And that was final.

He pressed his finger on the brass button to ring the bell and waited and swallowed and looked up and looked down at his feet again. His back was hunched over, his wings feeling heavier than normal, not because he was nervous or anything, but because they _were_ heavier than normal.

“WHO DARES DISTURB THE HIGH WARLOCK OF BROOKLYN?” Alec was ripped out of his musings by the booming voice coming from the speaker.

“I am - uh Alec. Alec Lightwood. Maybe you remem-”

Before Alec could end his sentence he got interrupted and the voice that was booming before changed to cheerful. “Alexander! Of course. Come right up.”

As Alec climbed the stairs he reminded himself over and over again that this was for his beloved moth wing and not for the person with that beautiful voice, no matter if it was loud or cheerful or quiet and soft, like it had been back when they had teamed up against the Circle member.

Despite his best efforts, Alec blushed, but he decided to blame the physical exertion for it instead of his thoughts about Magnus Bane’s voice and how good it had sounded when he had said Alec’s name and how good it could sound if he ever screamed it…

Alec was saved from that particular train of thought, and the embarrassing predicament in his pants that surely would’ve followed had he continued thinking about Magnus Bane and his hoarse voice, by the door of the loft

The black, sleek door was open, allowing him to step into the open space behind it. Alec looked around and spotted the warlock lounging on a black sofa, completely relaxed. The golden moth wings stretched out behind him, shiny as ever, making Magnus Bane look like sin incarnated. The way his wings contrasted his dark jacket and leather pants was mouthwatering. Alec had to swallow a bit as he noticed how ‘his’ moth wing was a tad bit less shiny than Magnus’. He couldn’t help but feel a bit guilty. His wingmate had taken such good care of his wings, had even decorated them and Alec hadn’t even taken proper care of his.

Alec’s brain ran a thousand miles a minute. ‘ _I’m glad it’s you’, ‘You’re pretty’, ‘Can we go on a date?’_ or even a simple ‘ _Hello’ were_ all phrases better suited than the “I want my wing back,” that spewed out of Alec’s mouth like some kind of verbal vomit.

Magnus perked up at that. Suddenly he looked way less relaxed.

 _Great job Alec, now there were two uncomfortable people in the room_. “I must admit that was not the greeting I was hoping for.”

Alec found it very hard to think clearly with those brown eyes fixed on him and stripping his soul naked in search for some kind of truth Alec wasn’t sure he had in him. It would be just another way for him to disappoint Magnus.

He tore his eyes away from Magnus’ and finally could think again. “I’m sorry, that’s not how - I meant- I mean… I” Alec made the tactical mistake of meeting Magnus’ gaze again and was instantly bereft of any words. For the second time this evening already. Alec wasn’t sure how he’d survive this encounter.

Magnus stood with a natural grace Alec could never hope to possess and walked up to Alec until there was so little space left between them that Alec could feel Magnus’ warm breath on his lips. It sent tingles racing down Alec’s spine, a feeling which was only amplified by the hand the warlock put on Alec’s cheek.

“Alexander, I know what you meant. Yes, I definitely want to go out with you to get to know you better and, therefore, swap back.” Magnus winked at the shadowhunter and it made Alec’s feathers shiver with excitement. He blushed hard when he noticed how ruffled his blue feathers were, adding immense volume to the normally smooth wings.

The movement from Alec’s feathers drew in Magnus’ gaze and the warlock chuckled slightly when he saw the tangled mess that was the previously artfully drafted silver jewellery between the feathers.

“Do you need a hand with that Alexander?”

Normally Alec would have been embarrassed, but the soft tone of Magnus Bane’s voice suffocated the urge to hide away his wings and, instead, he offered his right side up. “Yes please, I am not flexible enough on that side to reach around and untangle it myself. It was way easier taking care of the moth wing.” Alec smiled tentatively.

Magnus let out a small chuckle and fixed the jewellery with quick and nimble fingers, having obviously done it many times before. “There you go, all sorted out.”

And then Magnus smiled at Alec and Alec couldn’t help but smile back. His stomach was bubbling now, but instead of the nausea that normally accompanied the bubbles he only feels giddy and a bit lightheaded.

“So, now that this is sorted out, do you have time? We could go grab a drink and get to know each other a bit better?”

\---

“You wouldn’t believe how much misinformation there is in Nephilim books about proper wing care.” Alec took a sip from the drink Magnus had ordered for him. “So I thought, if the books can’t get it right on our own wings, I wouldn’t want to risk it on someone else’s wing. So that’s why it’s kinda less shiny than your half and a bit… wrinkled.”

Magnus let out an adorable snort and Alec felt the heat pool in his stomach and the glow in his face.

“Tell me, Alexander, what did the books say about the care of downworlder wings?” Alec had to swallow hard. Magnus was looking directly into his eyes again. 

“Uhh - stupid stuff like - uh.” Alec had trouble concentrating and finding words, just like back in the loft. “Like to shower the wing in acid and uh-” Magnus took mercy on him and turned away from Alec to take a sip from his drink, “using a steel bristle brush on them in order to polish them. And I was not convinced that was the right care so I just used water?”

Alec damned himself for making that sound like a question.

Magnus smiled warmly at him. “Well the books aren’t that far off, but I’m glad you spared it the steel bristle brush.” Magnus fluttered with the golden wings. “I trust you to continue to take proper care of it in the future as well. I can show you how.”

There was a moment of silence before the warlock spoke up again.

“So how about we get out of here. Maybe we can watch a movie at my place?”

Alec nodded enthusiastically, the bubbles in his stomach making an appearance once again.

Outside the bar Magnus grabbed Alec’s hand and Alec never wanted him to let go. It was nice. After all, Magnus was just for him and he was for Magnus. And maybe being the odd one out wasn’t that bad.

It was impossible to resist touching Magnus’ wing with his own, being so close to the warlock. As his right wing touched Magnus’ left, Alec felt a tingle and smooth wing met smooth wing, Magnus was truly his person and maybe, Alec thought giddy, maybe he could have that all for himself.

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know your thoughts ♥


End file.
